Latest news with #TrinityLeague
Los Angeles Times
7 days ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
The Times' softball player of the year: Kai Minor of Orange Lutheran
Four years ago, after seeing freshman outfielder Kai Minor for the first time during the first softball practice, Orange Lutheran High coach Steve Miklos remembers arriving at home and telling his wife, 'This girl is special.' And she was. Minor, headed to Oklahoma after four spectacular seasons at Orange Lutheran, saved her best for her senior season, exceeding even the highest of expectations with 44 hits, a .500 batting average, 34 RBIs and 17 doubles for the Trinity League championship team. Defensively, she was a wizard with her glove. 'She makes plays routine that others wouldn't make,' Miklos said. For a season of exceptional performances, Minor has been selected The Times' player of the year in softball. 'It was a joy to see her develop not only as a great player but as a mentor to younger players,' Miklos said. He called Minor 'the best player' in his 28 seasons of coaching. Her speed was used on the bases and on defense. Opposing coaches who had never seen her play always came away impressed. 'People watch her and they're amazed,' Miklos said. 'They go, 'Who's that?'' She's a five-tool player in the world of softball. 'She hits for power, she's a line-drive hitter, a great baserunner. She's complete,' Miklos said.
Los Angeles Times
7 days ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
The Times' baseball coach of the year: Andy Rojo of St. John Bosco
St. John Bosco High, a sports powerhouse, had been waiting years to get its baseball program to a high level. It finally happened under second-year coach Andy Rojo, who guided the Braves to the Southern Section Division 1 championship and Southern California Division I regional championship, a first in school history. 'He just held us accountable from the first day in the fall,' pitcher Jack Champlin said. 'Every practice was a grind. Every day has been a grind. He's keeping us held to a higher standard.' For taking St. John Bosco to its first Trinity League title since 2017 and directing the Braves to a 30-4 record, Rojo has been selected The Times' baseball coach of the year. Rojo came from the college ranks when St. John Bosco hired him. He had been an assistant coach at Long Beach State and before that Riverside City College while also helping USA Baseball identify amateur talent. 'He talks at the right time and builds personal relationships and everyone is willing to lay it out on the line for him,' Champlin said.
Los Angeles Times
31-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
St. John Bosco wins Division 1 baseball championship on Miles Clark's walk-off single
To say that St. John Bosco and Santa Margarita engaged in a championship baseball game on Friday night that will be remembered for a lifetime would be an understatement. 'This game was special, something I'll remember for the rest of my life. You really had to fight for it,' said St. John Bosco left fielder Noah Everly. It was a Southern Section Division 1 final filled with drama. Teenagers came through with big play after big play until finally in the bottom of the ninth inning, with the bases loaded, Miles Clark hit a walk-off single up the middle to give St. John Bosco a 3-2 victory and its first baseball championship before a sold-out crowd of 3,010 at Cal State Fullerton. 'It hurts a lot,' Santa Margarita coach Chris Malec said. 'It was a great effort by both sides. There were so many amazing moments.' Let's start with Santa Margarita pitcher Brennan Bauer, who threw five scoreless innings of relief and somehow escaped twice with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh to keep the game going. First he had a 3-and-1 count to Everly and got a pop fly with one out. Then he had a 3-2 count with Moises Razo and got a fly out to the warning track. 'That's all Brennan,' Malec said. In 22 1/3 playoff innings, Brenann won four games and gave up one earned run. Then there was Everly coming through with a stunning catch on the run in left field in the top of the ninth inning to prevent a Santa Margarita extra base hit with a runner on first. 'That was an extraordinary catch,' Malec said. Said Clark: 'Oh my goodness, Noah came through.' So did Clark against relief pitcher Ethan Russell in the bottom of the ninth. Bauer had run out of innings, having reached his 10-inning max after throwing five innings against Crespi in the semifinals. Russell walked Razo on a 3-2 pitch to load the bases, setting the stage for Clark. 'We were locked in the whole game,' Clark said. 'We didn't lose our mental focus. I kept telling my guys we have to stay focused.' Razo had a two-run double in the first inning to give the Braves an early lead. Santa Margarita took advantage of an error and closed it to 2-1 in the second on Brody Schumaker's second hit. The Eagles tied tied it at 2-2 in the fifth with a squeeze bunt by Blake Ankrum, the third sacrifice of the game. After Gavin Cervantes started on the mound and freshman Brayden Krakowski pitched into the sixth inning, St. John Bosco turned to its closer, Jack Champlin, who was magnificent. In four scoreless innings, he allowed one hit with four strikeouts. At one point, a Santa Margarita batter appeared to challenge Champlin after the count went to 3-0. Champlin proceeded to strike him out, unleashing a fist pump. St. John Bosco ended up being the most consistent team in the Southland for the 2025 season. The Braves went 27-4 and became the first Trinity League champion to win a Division 1 title. All the other Trinity League teams that have won Division 1 never won the league title. And beating top-seeded Corona 2-0 on Tuesday was quite an accomplishment itself.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Prep talk: As MLB tries to increase Black players, St. John Bosco has positive news
Major League Baseball has been trying for years to increase the number of Black players participating in the sport, creating such programs as the Compton Youth Academy and the DREAM Series. There were 59 Black players on opening day MLB rosters, a slight increase from the previous year but far from the numbers in the 1980s. St. John Bosco's baseball team, which plays for a Southern Section Division 1 championship on Friday against Santa Margarita at Cal State Fullerton, offers hope for the future with five Black players in the starting lineup. "Definitely something to be proud of," center fielder Miles Clark said. Advertisement The sports of football and basketball have been taking away Black athletes, but St. John Bosco's group of Clark, his twin brother James, Noah Everly, Jaden Jackson and Macade Maxwell have embraced baseball and put themselves in position to pursue college baseball and beyond. Each player offers speed and athleticism. Maxwell had an RBI single in the semifinals against Seth Hernandez of Corona. James Clark and Everly lead the team in hitting at .394 and .347, respectively. St. John Bosco won its first Trinity League title since 2017 and is 24-5. … Santa Margarita is much improved after getting players back from injuries, so ignore the fact it has 12 losses. Carter Enoch came back to add hitting to the Eagles' lineup and Brennan Bauer has been the winning pitcher in all four playoff games. Seventeen seniors are graduating at 10 a.m. at the Honda Center. This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email Advertisement Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
30-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Prep talk: As MLB tries to increase Black players, St. John Bosco has positive news
Major League Baseball has been trying for years to increase the number of Black players participating in the sport, creating such programs as the Compton Youth Academy and the DREAM Series. There were 59 Black players on opening day MLB rosters, a slight increase from the previous year but far from the numbers in the 1980s. St. John Bosco's baseball team, which plays for a Southern Section Division 1 championship on Friday against Santa Margarita at Cal State Fullerton, offers hope for the future with five Black players in the starting lineup. 'Definitely something to be proud of,' center fielder Miles Clark said. The sports of football and basketball have been taking away Black athletes, but St. John Bosco's group of Clark, his twin brother James, Noah Everly, Jaden Jackson and Macade Maxwell have embraced baseball and put themselves in position to pursue college baseball and beyond. Each player offers speed and athleticism. Maxwell had an RBI single in the semifinals against Seth Hernandez of Corona. James Clark and Everly lead the team in hitting at .394 and .347, respectively. St. John Bosco won its first Trinity League title since 2017 and is 24-5. … Santa Margarita is much improved after getting players back from injuries, so ignore the fact it has 12 losses. Carter Enoch came back to add hitting to the Eagles' lineup and Brennan Bauer has been the winning pitcher in all four playoff games. Seventeen seniors are graduating at 10 a.m. at the Honda Center. This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email
